woodworth



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C.. E. WOODWORTH. CORSET.

No. 591,518. Patented oct. 12,1897.-

.2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

e. E. WOOD'WORTH,

CORSET.

110.591,518. Patented Oct. 12,1897.

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, Witnesses ma mams verras cr eNom-Llwmmsnmnvnu. u c.

` vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARAv E.V wooDwoRTH, or LONDON, CANADA.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,518, dated October 12, 1897'. Application lecl .Tune 6. 1896. Renewed September 15. 1897. Serial No. 651.800. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Beitknown' that I, CLARA E. WooDwoRrH, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of London, in the Province of Ontario,`Canada, have invented a new and useful Corset, of which the following is a speciication.

This invention relates to aA close iitting bodice or waist stiffened by suitable means, usually tightened by lacing, and worn for the purpose of supporting and giving shape to the figure; and it consists of the improved construction and combination'of parts of the same, as will be hereinaftervfirst fully set forth and described and then pointed out in the claim. y

In order that my improvement-s may be better understood, I havev illustrated in the accompanying drawings a corset constructed according to my invention. y

In the drawings,- Figure lis a front View of my improved corset. Fig. 2 is a side View, and Fig. 3 is a back view of same. Fig. 4 is a sectional View of one side on the line x of Fig. 2. Y Y

In the accompanying drawings, F designates the front and B the back of the corset, formed separately and independently of one another and of any suitable material.

The corset-front F is divided or formed of two separate and independent divisions ff2, and secured to the adjacent edges of said divisions f f2 are the front corset stays or buslrs C C2, formed of steel or other suitable material.

H H designate clasps and. I I designate headed studs secured to the stays C2 and C', respectively, by means of which the divisions f f2 of the front section F may be readily and easily connected together or disconnected, as required. The outer edges of the divisions f' f* are each provided with a stay D and the central lower portions of each with the stays E E, and the upper portion of the corset, extending over the busts, is formed in loose folds Gr.

The back B of the corset is also divided into two separate and independent divisions b' h2, and secured to the -adjacent edges of said divisions Z9 b2 are the stays J J, and to these divisions, a short distance from the stays J J, the stays K K are secured, and in these divisions, between these stays J J and K K, eyelets L L are formed, through which A the laces M are projected, by means of which the divisions b b2 are connected and held together, and to the outer edges of these divisions b b2 the stays N N are secured.

O O designate shoulder-straps the ends of which are connected to the front F and back B, which straps extend over the'shoulders of the wearer for the purpose of supporting the weight of and for holding the corset 4in place.

The side sections T T of the corset are formed of rubber .or elastic bands which are longer at the top and bottom than at the waist, thereby forming an elastic section T at each side of the corset, under the arms, which is wider at the top and bottom than at the waist to permit the upper and lower portions of the vsections T to give more than at the waist, because the figure is larger at these points. This, together with the fact that the result` of the longer elastic bands is to give proportionately narrow front and back sections as a consequence of this construction, gives great freedom to the wearer; and, again, these bands are formed of two or more folds or thicknesses at the wrists or about midway of the corset and at the bottom of the corset, or from the waist to the bottom of the corset, as desired, for the purpose of giving the portion of the body below the waist-line greater support, and at the same time a graceful and elegant appearance. The ends of said bands P P are secured with the stays D' and N to the front F and back B, respectively, of the corset, thereby forming a strong and durable connection between the ends of the rubber bands P and the adjacent edges of the front F and back B of the corset.

Each side of the corset is provided with a strap R, one end of each of said straps being secured to the back B and the other end to the front F by any means or in any manner found most suitable or convenient for the purpose of assisting the elastic bands P in supporting the lower portion of the body of the wearer.

G are extensions of the loose folds G above IOO the body of the corset in front, and B are eX- tensions of the back B above the body of the corset at the back for the purpose of supporting and protecting the body of the wearer above the body of the corset. By forming the front F separately and independently of the back B and again making the latter in two divisions Z1 b2, each of the latter may be and is preferably made in one piece without seam or gore; and the divisions f' f2 and b' b2 of the front F and back B, respectively, are connected together by the clasps II, engaging with the headed studs I and the laces M, respectively; but these divisions may be connected together by any means or in any manner found most suitable and convenient; and by forming the side sect-ions T T of the corset of rubbei` or elastic bands P P wider at the top and bottom than at the waist and with the spaces or openings S between them and connectin g them to the back B and front F, as described, and by forming the bands P double at the waist, or about midway of the corset, and at the bottom of the corset, prevents the lower ends of the front stays or busks C C2 from protruding and disfiguring the dress, and they also give great support and comfort' to the body, particularly to the portion below the waist-line, thus forming a durable corset, as well as one which will give the wearer great freedom and a graceful and elegant appearance.

rlhe upper rubber bands P, in connection with the upward extensions G' and B and the shoulder-straps 0 O, are most effective in keeping the top of the corset close to the figure and avoids and completely prevents it forming a visible ridge, which is so often noticed in ordinary corsets, and the whole construction adapts it to the figure to which it tends to impart elegance; and by forming the corset herein shown and described shorter from the top to the waist a perfect bicyclecorset will be provided, and by reducing it in length from both the top and bottom to the waist a perfect military belt or gentlemans corset will be provided.

I have found by experiment that the construction herein shown and described gives the best results. At the same time, while I prefer the construction shown and described, I do not wish to limit myself to the details thereof, as they may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- A corset comprising front sections, back sections, means for adjusting the back sections, and side sections consisting of a series of transverse elastic bands having spaces between them, and gradually increasing in length from the waist-line of the corset in both an upward and downward direction, the bands above the waist-line of the corset being formed of a single thickness of material and those at the waist-line of the corset and adjacent thereto beneath the waist-line being formed of two or more folds or thicknesses of material so that the upper bands may yield more readily than the lower bands on account of the figure being larger above the waistline of the corset than beneath it; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

CLARA E. VOODXVORTII.

Witnesses:

P. J. EDMUNDs, S. MCBAIN. 

